WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12

PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS 
(additional fees apply)
Sponsored by Michael H. Seid & Associates

9:00AM TO 4:00PM
Franchise CEO Summit
Ensuring You Have Highly Successful Franchisees
(Franchise Presidents and CEOs Only)

It isn’t exactly a newsflash that today’s business environment is a challenge. In fact, the challenging environment has been going on for so long that the time for reactive solutions or hoping that things will get better has passed. Now is the time for rethinking old ways of doing things, for a more proactive approach and for a more disciplined and better prepared executive team capable of both new thinking and new ways of working.

A key issue franchise CEO’s face is ensuring new and existing franchisees are highly successful. More than protecting existing royalty revenues, this is about gaining a competitive edge by producing the types of results that make your current franchisees tell your prospective ones that the risk is lower and the returns are higher if they go with you. In this environment, the strongest franchisees and hence franchisors will prevail. And one key strategy in making sure both succeed is franchisors becoming much more proactive and responsive to the needs of their franchisees.

In this one day workshop we will roll up our sleeves and tackle this issue.,We will frame the issue and CEOs will work with their peers to craft a tangible plan they can follow after the workshop to insert this as a core strategy in their business. A key deliverable of the day is leaving with a plan to discuss and evolve with your executive team regarding how to take franchisee success to an entirely different level. Including measuring the ROI of doing so. And leaving the competition behind.

Program Leader: Otis Woodard, Founder, The Leadership Forge

9:00AM TO 12:00PM
Mastering Franchise Sales
(Open to all)

For emerging and experienced development and sales professionals, and a must workshop for new franchise organizations. Are you seeking an accelerated course for closing qualified candidates? How do franchisors sell their first franchises? How can more established franchisors looking to revitalize their recruitment make it happen? How do you deal with hesitant buyers in today’s market? Do you want to avoid costly selling mistakes that scare buyers away?

What are legal land mines we need to know about and how to prevent them? We all hear about the “New Norm” for selling franchisees. What does this mean, and what if anything should we modify in our sales and lead generation efforts to be more successful?

This interactive session addresses the basic “how to’s” of constructing a franchise development program. The workshop embraces the fundamentals of franchise recruitment necessary for any growing franchise system. Our session leaders will share the keys to building successful franchise growth. Franchise recruitment is
a counter-intuitive selling process, and adapting to this reality is essential.

Discover the success keys for the initial prospect contact and prequalification, program review, franchisee validation, FDDpresentation, Discovery Day event, andgranting of your franchise. Learn powerful relationship-building techniques and utilize closing methods that begin with your first conversation.

Program Leaders: Marc Kiekenapp, Principal, Kiekenapp & Associates; Jeff Sturgis, President, Franchise System Advisors; Lane Fisher, Partner, Fisher Zucker

1:00PM TO 4:00PM
Achieving High-Performance Sales Management
(Franchise Sales Managers Only)

In an uncertain economy, sales organizations may be tempted to tighten up spending, reduce training costs and implement a hiring freeze. How do you maintain sales success regardless of economic conditions … credit issues and hesitant buyers? How do franchise organizations and individuals develop comprehensive deal strategies to conquer today’s complex sales environment? This dynamic workshop tackles these key challenges that must be overcome to achieve successful development. Discussions will focus on the nuts and bolts of engineering a winning recruitment process that ensures a higher level of professionalism, facilitates effective sales management, and dramatically increases the odds of capturing the right franchisees. Learn how top performing sales teams are applying new concepts and tools to close performance gaps in their companies. Workshop leaders will address how to identify and manage, in real-time, the variables that directly impact the development process. This includes employing technology intelligence to help identify, monitor and correct performance challenges in your sales and marketing efforts, and establishing milestones and metrics to guide you and your team in achieving your development goals

Program Leader: Steve Dunn, Vice President of Development, Denny’s
Panelists: Greg Vojnovic, VP Development, Popeye’s; J.D. Sun, Co-Founder, Brightstar 

1:00PM TO 4:00PM
Developing Successful Programs for Multi-Unit Franchise Growth
(Open to all)

How do successful multi-unit franchisees find, investigate and buy additional brands? 52% of today’s franchise units are now operated by multi-unit franchisees, and experienced multi-unit operators continue expanding in spite of the economy! These high achievers seek opportunities to grow existing brands and diversify their portfolios by adding new franchise concepts – including non-food retail and service brands. So, how do franchisees shop for additional franchise opportunities, and what components of a franchise system do they look at?

What are the best marketing sources for attracting these business builders? What type of research do they do? What turns franchisees on and off to potential brands? What are FDD deal breakers? Learn how to recruit these mega franchisees and what characteristics are needed to succeed.

Program Leaders: Rocco Fiorentino, President, Swiss Farms Stores; John Metz, Founder / President, RRMEC Restaurants
Panelists: Shawn Caric, Franchising Manager, Dunkin’ Donuts; Aziz Hashim, President & CEO, National Restaurant Development; Greg Thomas, President, Parkside Ventures, Anthony Calamunci, Partner/Franchise Law Group, Roetzel & Andress

5:30PM TO 8:00PM
WELCOME RECEPTION — EXHIBITS OPEN 
Sponsored by Franchise America Finance

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13

8:00AM TO 9:00AM 
BREAKFAST – EXHIBITS OPEN

9:00AM TO 10:45AM 
GENERAL SESSION 

> Opening Welcome

> State of the Industry: Franchise Economist, Darrell Johnson

> LEADERSHIP KEYNOTE: The Future of Opportunity: A 20/20 Vision of Your Success, Steven Little

In this exciting and thought-providing keynote, Steven S. Little will identify the most impactful macro-changes taking place in our world today and within our industry. Find out the future of opportunity and success for your group over the next 3 to 15 years. No crystal ball or tea leaves here…just factual, down-to-earth information you will find interesting, entertaining and actionable.

Steven S. Little is a much sought after expert on the subject of business growth and the future of opportunity. As a former President of three fast-growth companies, he now advises thousands of leaders of growing organizations and communities each year. For over ten years, Steve was also a Senior Consultant for Inc. magazine. He is the author of the best-selling books “The 7 Irrefutable Rules of Small Business Growth” (Wiley, 2005) and “The Milkshake Moment: Overcoming Stupid Systems, Pointless Policies and Muddled Management to Realize Real Growth” (Wiley, 2008). And his newest book “Duck and (re)Cover: The Embattled Business Owner’s Guide to Survival and Growth.”

10:45AM TO 11:00AM 
BREAK

11:00AM TO 11:30AM 
GENERAL SESSION 

> Annual Franchise Development Survey Results
The Gold Standard survey for franchise development! Get the latest industry intelligence on sales and marketing costs, budgets and top sales sources; online sales results from ad portals, pay-per-lead, site optimization and social media; close ratios, cost per lead, cost per sale, application and discovery day closing ratios; results by industry categories, unit investment, system sales, and much more.
What are franchisors exceeding their sales goals doing differently than those below their goals? Is your online spending paying off? Are your brokers delivering – and at an acceptable cost? How does your sales budget compare with other brands? Are your closing ratios in line?

> 2011 Franchisor Mystery Shopping Results
(Award Winners Announced at Closing Banquet)
Discover what franchisors today are doing well and not so well in the tight race for franchise candidates. Each year our mystery shoppers contact participating franchisors attending this conference to rank their website development and follow-up performance to qualified inquiries. 

11:40AM TO 12:30PM 
CONCURRENT SESSIONS 

Benchmark Your Development Performance
Food, retail and service brands face common yet often different sales and marketing challenges: franchisee investment levels, prospect profiles, and market dynamics, operational considerations, employee requirements, and several other variables. From house painting to hotels, we all have to adapt recruitment practices for our business sectors. These first-ever drill down sessions are designed to deliver greater development intelligence more relevant to your businesses. This can’t miss session will help you channel your priorities, and emphasize tools and techniques that can help increase your recruitment performance.

Food Service Brands: Benchmarking Session
Sponsored by mUrgent
Program Leader: Greg Vojnovic, VP Development, Popeyes
Panelists: Mike Mettler, Director National Franchise Sales, Dairy Queen; Rhonda McGrew, Franchise Development Manager, Papa Murphy's

Retail Brands: Benchmarking Session
Program Leader: Rob Goggins, VP Franchise Development, Great Clips
Panelists: Sean Fitzgerald, VP Franchise Development, Wireless Zone; Kevin Drudge, Franchise Development Manager, MAACO Collision Repair & Auto Paint

Service Brands: Benchmarking Session
Program Leader: Shelly Sun, CEO and Co-founder, Brightstar
Panelists: John Rotche, President, Ductz; Frank Fiume, Founder and CEO, i9 Sports

Site Selection and Build-out Programs that Can Drive Sales
Location, location, location…a prime concern franchisees can lose sleep over when joining a retail franchise system! Getting it done right certainly can increase unit sales and franchisee validation. So, how do you effectively address this critical topic in your sales process to ensure realistic expectations and execution
of the site selection and construction events? This is a valuable session for retail franchisors actively seeking ways to improve their real estate performance in a competitive, cost-challenged marketplace. Learn how to save yourself and your franchisees thousands of dollars each year by properly administering your system’s real estate and construction procedures.

Program Leader: Marie VanDrisse, Executive National Account Manager, FC Dadson
Panelists: Ryan Cunningham, President, Javelin Solutions; Brian Belmont, Executive Vice President of Brand Expansion, Quiznos; Paul Mangiamele, President and CEO, Bennigan's

12:30PM TO 2:00PM 
LUNCH — EXHIBITS OPEN 
Sponsored by Localeze

2:00PM TO 3:00PM 
> TECHNOLOGY KEYNOTE: 

Trends, Technology and Where We’re Headed, Scott Klososky
Technology is simply a tool, but in the right hands, it can almost be magical in its ability to give us new capabilities. For this reason, it is critical to understand how technology can be fully leveraged in order to drive top-line revenues, or lower bottom-line costs.

Scott Klososky, a former CEO of three successful startup companies, specializes in looking over the horizon with how technology is changing the world. Scott’s vision and ability to see trends in emerging technologies allow him to be a thought leader who applies his skills to help organizations thrive, leaders prosper, and entire industries move forward. His love of being a technology entrepreneur assures that he continually works in the trenches of building his own companies.

3:10PM TO 4:00PM
CONCURRENT SESSIONS

Boosting Performance through Lead and Sales Process Automation and Metrics
Sponsored by Process Peak
Session leaders will address the critical keys to greater recruitment success. We all know “You can’t improve what you don’t measure,” yet 35 percent of franchisors surveyed in 2010 didn’t know their cost-per franchise sale! What metrics really matter? Learn more about the tools and systems necessary to effectively manage recruiting costs, the sales process, lead generation, candidates and sales team. What type of contact management system should you use? How do you manage sales conversion percentages, identify training needs and establish benchmarks? What sales process is most effective? This session of experts share their experiences in conquering these challenges.

Program Leader: Geoff Hill, VP, Roark Capital Group
Panelists: Dick Mueller, VP Franchise Sales, Sport Clips; Brian Spindel, COO, Postnet

Online Lead Generation 2012
Sponsored by Web.com
Online marketing has been the top franchise sales producer for several years. Where is it headed now? This session examines the “how to’s” of successful online lead generation. Understanding this competitive and dynamic world is the key to greater success: evaluating and choosing the right franchise advertising sites; the power of videos, testing ad banners and marketing copy to generate higher responses. With today’s online invasion of marketing options which includes well over 100 franchise advertising portals, franchisors must employ marketing intelligence that effectively guides them through the internet jungle of prospecting for buyers. Learn what you must do to own your own Internet space including effective website SEO and the role of social media as a part of your development plan.

Program Leader: Gary Gardner, Chairman, Franchise Update Media Group Panelists: Michael Alston, President, Landmark Interactive, Boris Bugarski, President & CEO, mUrgent, Jon Carlston, Director Franchise Development, Process Peak

Presenting Compelling Opportunities through Your Marketing and Sales Channels
How attractive is your franchise opportunity now? In what ways do you make your concept stand out among competitive opportunities? “Tired brand,” “dated concept” or “no legs” are scary labels causing companies to shutter. Give prospects a motivating reason to respond to your message. Showcase your “wow” factors, those outstanding four to five advantages that will excite prospects and catapult you into their top picks for investigation: Does your  program still deliver what it takes in this environment, or should you consider changes that can increase buyer interest? How do you approach these challenges?

This strategic planning session includes: How to respond to today’s buying market, develop an engaging opportunity for buyers, and successfully communicate, market and sell your franchise opportunity that target your ideal franchise prospects.

Program Leader: Diane Phibbs , President, Calabrand Marketing
Panelists: Renee Maloney, Co-Owner, Painting with a Twist; Brent Alvord, President, Lenny’s; Lori Merral, Director of Franchising, Massage Envy 

Qualifying and Closing More Franchise Deals
Sponsored by Mulcahy LLP
This dynamic breakout session is for franchise executives seeking answers for increasing sales in a challenged recruiting environment. How do you adapt your sales presentations to be more successful with today’s cautious buyers? Are you offering incentives to fuel growth with new and current franchisees working? What about franchise brokers, or outsourcing your development to franchise companies? Are you promoting your resale opportunities? Panelists will also address, candidate profiling and selection; presenting the FDD and Financial Performance Representations; franchisee validation calls; and how to set expectations, get commitments and close qualified candidates through an engaging Discovery Day.

Program Leader: Joe Matthews, Founding Partner, Franchise Performance Group
Panelists: Brian Sommers, Franchise Development, Jersey Mike’s Subs; Debbie Shwetz, Co-Founder, Nothing Bundt Cakes

4:15PM TO 5:15PM
BUSINESS SOLUTIONS ROUNDTABLES 
Sponsored by Roetzel & Andress

Tackle today’s hottest development issues and solutions, engaging with your peers on specific drill down topics that matter most to you. Tables will be facilitated by industry experts and rotate every 30 minutes to maximize your learning experience. 

6:30 PM
STAR Awards Banquet
Recognizing the Best in Franchise Sales Development!

Join us as we honor and celebrate our 2011 Franchise STAR Award winners with a night of food and fun. The annual STAR awards recognize excellence in lead generation, recruitment and industry-wide best practices in the franchise industry.

Note: To be eligible for a STAR Award you must be registered for the conference. Admission to the STAR Awards Banquet is included in conference registration.

STAR Awards Sponsor:  Kiekenapp & Associates
Banquet Sponsor: Systino
Cocktail Reception Sponsor: Roetzel & Andress
 

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14

8:30AM TO 9:20AM 
Are You Legally Fit? Free Advice from Top Attorneys 

Here’s your opportunity for professional advice from the best in franchising law.

Join this interactive legal session with experienced franchise lawyers, addressing compliance issues franchisors need to be aware of as they aggressively market and sell franchises. Are you effectively using or abusing the FDD in recruiting franchisees?

What are the do’s and don’ts of providing Financial Performance Representations? How about your marketing materials and promotional claims? What are some of the key considerations when developing Multi-Unit Franchisee Agreements? Franchisee claims on webnars with prospects? Referral fees? Broker representation issues?

Controlling quality, brand performance and price – Are there limits to the rights you should retain? 

Panelists: Jim Mulcahy, Managing Partner, Mulcahy LLP; Anthony Calamunci, Partner / Franchise Law Group, Roetzel & Andress; Lane Fisher, Partner, Fisher Zucker; Brian Schnell, Partner, Faegre & Benson

9:30AM TO 10:30AM 
Show Me The Money! 
Franchisee Financing 

Lending has been tight in the franchise market for too long. What lies ahead of us that offers additional solutions for financing candidates that franchisors have qualified? Meet with the lending pros in the know. Get the straight facts and the latest scoop on SBA loans, private equity groups, 401K financing, conventional and non-conventional sources, leasing options, special minority lending and inner city programs. And find out what types of financial incentives and direct funding franchisors are using now to attract and close more deals.

Panelists: Darrell Johnson, President/CEO, FranDATA; Bill Hall, CEO, William G. Hall & Company; Ron Feldman, CEO, Franchise America Finance; Mike Rozman, Executive Vice President, Boefly

10:45AM TO11:30AM 
Mindshare: Development Power for Greater Success

Our ever-popular mindshare finale harnesses development expertise in a team-building format. Experienced development leaders will challenge the group for solutions, as franchise executives collectively pool their sales and marketing intelligence in responding to today’s recruitment market.

How are the leaders of growing franchise companies leveraging their people, budgets, brands and resources to meet their development goals in 2011 and beyond? We will conclude this high-energy session with at least 5 takeaways in a stimulating environment of interactive networking and information sharing.

Facilitator: Steve Greenbaum, CEO/Founder, PostNet